


Marvelous Mysteries: Puberty is Rough

by Magical_Muffin_Ride



Series: Marvelous Mysteries [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Body Horror, Changelings, Fae & Fairies, Hurt/Comfort, Unfinished and Rough
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:01:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24217087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magical_Muffin_Ride/pseuds/Magical_Muffin_Ride
Summary: (Background Story for Mabels Marvelous Mysteries)Puberty is hard enough for humans, let alone when you don't even know what you are anymore. It helps to have someone to rely on (even if you tried to destroy their family a few times.)
Series: Marvelous Mysteries [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1747924
Kudos: 1





	Marvelous Mysteries: Puberty is Rough

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy! A background story for Marvelous Mysteries detailing Gideons...issues. Some of them at least.
> 
> This is all taken from a request for a friend so its still rough and unfinished. Since the next chapter of Marvelous Mysteries is finished I wanted to go around and post it.
> 
> On it's own it's still readable. Just remember that in this AU the portal failed so most of season two never happened.
> 
> Mostly no Bill Cipher Ending The World

The letter came bundled up with a mess of supply magazines and nail technician ads. It had been Mabel's turn to get the mail that day and she didn't notice the soft buttercup-colored envelope until it slipped out when she was going through the pile. In stately, but flourished, the handwriting was her full name atop the thick paper.

Even her middle name was included. Weird.

There weren't any stamps which were disappointing considering she liked to make mosaics with them. It was also sealed with a pressed flower and wax. Way ostentatious and therefore Mabel loved it completely. Whoever wrote this letter understood her completely and she hoped it was from some top-ranking secret knitting club. One that taught it's users how to take down an army with only ten gauge needles and pure alpaca wool. Hell yeah.

When she opened the letter Mabel received both disappointment and the smell of talcum mixed with old lady perfume. Not enough to give her a coughing fit at least, but for a moment she found the smell to be familiar. It wasn't enough to place it however and the chance to remember slipped away. The letter itself was heavy paper and carefully creased with a steady hand. That, coupled with everything else, made the letter seem more valuable than most, and with excitement Mabel started to read.

'Mabel, forgive me for allowing you only a scant time to settle. No longer can I wait for a moment to come for I have split and it overflows as I write.'

What?

'Feel myself tearing apart into wet chunks of refuse. What comes out frightens me and it sinks into my teeth and makes me hunger. Sweets no longer soothe. Perhaps I am to devour myself when I fall under this flood. Would that forgive? Could you forgive and heal me? Please help me. The mind is slipping I rest.'

Mabel took a moment's pause after that little written word vomit. Minutes ticked by as she argued with herself over whether to continue reading the letter. Would it add only more crazy whip topping over this cake? She really felt as though she shouldn't, but denying her curiosity would be way out of character. So, she read on.

'I feel as though I should start this letter over, but perhaps this only shows how desperate I have become. Your brother and yourself are the last hope I have in this forsaken town and I am willing to do whatever it takes. I know I have sinned and now I cast myself onto your mercy. Please help me.'

'I will await both of you in the next moonless night next to the totem outside the shack. I promise you no harm shall befall my benefactors.'

'PS - bring jam honey sweets'

The letter was placed down onto the table and Mabel forced herself to not think about the letter. There were so many things she had to do instead of being weirded out by a letter after all and so it was best to ignore it. Just block out all that creepy peepy wording and just work on getting dishes done before pixies came in and sucked the scraps off the plates. The dust they left behind was impossible to rinse off!

Thus, the letter was put out of Mabel's mind until two days later when she rediscovered it. And re-read it. They creep out factor was still strong, but definitely manageable this time around. If only Dipper wasn't gone staring at a supposedly haunted Bear-o a state over. He could figure out whatever hidden code was in the letter if there was any. Or maybe do some science-whiz stuff to check for drugs because this seemed like a letter brought about by drugs. Maybe even a bit of liquor to wash it all down. 

This probably wouldn't turn out well if she went alone. And if she waited for Dipper then the chance to offer help would be too late. It all really came down Mabel taking a chance and hoping it didn't get her killed. 

She really needed to stop putting things off considering she had to make a decision now. Maybe. It was getting dark so if she could just peek out she could see wether or not 'Miss Moony' has decided to show off a bit of leg tonight. As she stepped out of the shack she looked up into the thick mixture of stars overhead.

No moon. Damn it.

With a groan Mabel went back inside and threw on an extra sweater to ward off the chill. Also loaded up on protection charms on her wrists and neck until she resembled a over zealous raver. There was no telling who was out there waiting for her to come over after all. Plus, a good oaken bat and brass knuckles only went so far. Speaking of which…yeah it really seemed like a brass knuckles type of situation. Something she could hide under the long sleeves of her sweater without alerting the other person. If they suspected she was armed then they would be tougher to take in a fight. Best to let her guns do the talking.

As in biceps. Her bi-guns. No, that sounded stupid. 

Actually, it didn't matter what she called her muscles. All that mattered was the brass around her hand with the engravings of 'left' and 'rite'. A gift left to her after Stan had disappeared. Tugging her sleeves down further, Mabel stepped once more into quiet night. 

Leaves crunched underfoot and echoed against the pines back towards her. The light from the porch cast a halo towards the pole, but was too weak to do much more than cast shadows. Something felt terrible any this situation and she supposed it was how quiet everything had become. Neither a cougar scream or deer bellow broke through the line of trees. It was like a bubble had been formed over the shack and cut it off from the outside world. Keeping it frozen. Still. The sound of her heartbeat was only muffled by how her charms chimed against each other.

The pole was five feet away now and Mabel realized suddenly that she had showed down to shuffling steps. She stopped then because so far she wasn't really making any progress to getting her questions answered. Nor would she be much help if she couldn't even manage a measly walking pace. Stan would've chided her on how slow she was taking all this and would state it was her idea in the first place. Therefore she had to do it and let her stubbornness push her towards her goal. If Mabel could convince herself of turning tail then what would stop strangers from doing the same? Was she just going to wander around not doing what others said not to do? No! 

So, she needed to do this. With a deep breath she stormed forward to the pole kicking up leaves in her path. One alighted upon her lips. She ate it to show if who was boss. The crunch was satisfying and she loved it. 

One foot from the pole and a large bulky shape stepped out from behind it. Definitely a foot taller than Mabel. Definitely built like a logger. They were someone that could snap her in half and pick their teeth with her jaw bone. As they stepped further into the light Mabel realized they had donned a heavy cloak over themselves and they looked up a mask was revealed. It was cute actually-the mask anyways-with a little pig face. Mabel knew better than to enjoy it however and she steeled her nerves. If bad romance fanfiction had taught her anything it was what to expect next.

"If you starting singing opera", she said with a hard tone, "I am so out of here."

Which was the truth because she was seventeen and way over that sort of thing. Luckily, the stranger seemed physically repulsed by such an idea and two gloved hands came up in a gesture of peace. They seemed to shrink under her steely gaze and for a moment Mabel felt a twinge of pity as the person curled in on themselves. She realized that they were making themselves look smaller to seem safer and that trickling of pity turned into a flood.

"I'm sorry."

The voice that came from this hulking stranger was so out of place it threw her for a loop. It was high-pitched like a child's and oddly familiar to her ears. Before she could place it though they continued to speak,

"I didn't want to give you all a fright like this, but I don't leave the house so much anymore. Night tends to be more forgiving considering my—my particulars. "

It's cool", was all she could reply with, "you wanted some help?"

"Desperately", they said and they sure did sound it, "is that brother of yours far behind Mabel?"

Shit. It was time for a moment of truth. Though Mabel had the knuckles on and enough muscle to knock this guy out that didn't mean she could take him down. For a moment she considered the truth before letting the lie slip out.

"Emergency in town. He's only a few minutes behind. So let's get you to the shack."

That made the stranger nervous she noted, but they offered no arguments as they followed behind her steps. As they walked she counted the heavy steps behind her; one for two of hers keeping a good distance away. They didn't want to be frightening towards her it seemed and that made her feel even more on edge. What were they hiding under that cloak and mask? Why did their voice dig up some familiarity deep in her mind?

Why did their mere presence set her on edge so much? It had to be more than their physical form and she couldn't place it. A powerful sort of energy that silenced the wild around them and made her teeth itch. They didn't even seem like they were trying at it either. 

Returning to the shack took up much less time. The wooden steps creaked dangerously under their weight and she took notice of how clumsy this stranger was. As if they were unused to this hulking body they had now. She kept silent though as she ushered them inside and the screen door slammed shut. Mabel was now alone with this stranger and she really hoped she wouldn't end up dead from this.

"You uh—you want something to drink? I've got cola and stuff."

They shook their head and kept their eyes glued to the floor. Under the direct light they didn't look nearly as fearsome as before and again her heartstrings were tugged. She really needed to learn how to toughen up about these sort of things. After all, she had no idea what this person's goal was or what they could do to her. Keeping that in mind, Mabel hopped up onto the shops counter and scooted back towards the edge in case she needed to grab the shotgun stored away back there.

"So", she chirped, "your letter was a mess and a half so what exactly can I do for you?"

They looked even more embarrassed now and wrung their gloved hands. The pig mask glanced around and in the light,, she caught sight of vivid blue eyes wide in panic. Finally, they spoke again in that child's voice.

"I need the books. I really need the books and please when is Dipper coming back with them?"

"B—books?"

"I know he has them!"

Before their voice had been soft, but suddenly it was if the volume and bass had been turned way up. Mabel bit her tongue to keep from screaming and her hand gripped the cool metal of the gun. She didn't remember grabbing it. She did make sure to aim it true. Before her,the stranger choked and seemed to have a second-long fit as they clutched at their head. Whisps of white hair like fairy floss tumbled out even as they tore at their scalp. Mabel's mouth felt dry.

"I need them."

"The books?"

"Answers I need answers I'm so hungry and it hurts and please don't let it hurt anymore again."

The voice became choked and she realized they were outright sobbing. Letting the barrel drift towards the floor she felt something in her brain finally click. 

"Gideon?"

Her answer was another cry and the boy fell to his knees.

\--------

Mabel embraced the boy and even rubbed his back as he openly sobbed into her stomach. He was so large even on his knees that her hands had to stretch to wrap around his back. She knew he was only thirteen and she couldn't understand how he had managed to get so damn huge in only four years. It didn't make sense either considering he should only now be hitting puberty. Then again that was probably why he had been so desperate for her help especially when their last meeting had been…really bad. Almost killing Dipper and herself tended to really put a strain on their social situations.

Now Gideon was crying into her sweater and it was soaked through. Way gross. Also, his grip was near bruising but she couldn't bear to push him away. 

So she stayed there awkwardly humming as he quieted down to hiccups and finally she heard him say something to her stomach.

"Care to repeat that buddy?", she asked while she pushed him away from her and looked down. Cripes, he looked terrible even with the mask and she could see that his eyes were bloodshot from all the crying. As he rubbed at his eyes the edge of the mask slipped and Mabel caught a glimpse of the skin underneath for just a second. Still, it was enough that she suddenly did not feel very curious about what lay underneath that faux piggy-face. 

"I ruined your sweater I said."

"Pshaw—it's fine! I make sure these things are durable!"

Taking a few steps back she plopped onto the floor before him and crossed her legs. Leaning forward she took a moment to breathe in and out just to force herself to calm down. Also to give Gideon a chance to continue fixing himself up whilst she pretended not to look. As she mellowed back down she took the chance to peel off the sodden sweater and was happy to see that her shirt was too bad off from the sob fest. Tossing the clothing aside she clapped her hands together and chimed,

"Well! I think with that out of the way we can work on this problem now!"

She pointed towards Gideon and continued,

"I take it you aren't supposed to be looking quite like this."

Gideon gave a snort and she took that as an answer.

"So, can you tell me when you started to-uh-get bigger?'

"Two months."

Mabel sucked in a breath through her teeth and struggled to think of what to say to that. She had expected years of this! He couldn't be honest with that answer and he had to be hiding something. She let the disbelief show in her expression and she watched his eyes flash with annoyance. The woman sat there as he tore off the gloves and she felt her stomach lurch at the sight of his hands. In one deft moment, the cloak joined the gloves and Mabel gagged at the sight of the skin not covered up by the shirt.

"Gideon—"

The sentence died on her lips and she struggled to understand what she was seeing. His skin was still lily-white, but cracks of red ran through like rivers in a canyon. At first, she thought he was bleeding, but as he lifted his arm she saw it was crusted over with a glassy film. The surface of the cracks reflected in the light as he twisted his arm for her and she realized the cracks were widening each time he stretched out. The damage was a perfect family of how a toy could be pulled enough that it spilled. Despite her disgust, Mabel leaned in further and Gideon allowed her to take his hand in hers.

Each finger was spilled along the joints and the wrist itself was a mess of peeling skin and runny mucus glittering in the light. The damage was from growth, she realized, he was growing so fast his skin wasn't able to keep up. A trickle of liquid dripped onto her own fingers and it felt like ice had been spilled. His skin too was so cold under her touch and she boggled at what could have done this. 

"What did you do", she said in a whisper as she quickly wiped away the mess, "what is this?"

"Where is Dipper?"

The question took her for surprise and she must've shown it on her face. His hand once again took hers and gave a gentle squeeze.

"You said he would be home soon."

"Dipper is—I lied. He isn't coming."

"Do you have the journals?"

Mabel swallowed and desperately wished her brother was on the way home. She wished he had the journals at his side and they could fix this problem. Perhaps she could lie once more, but she would never be able to find enough time to get the journals. The truth would be far worse the longer she took and Stan would be disappointed if he knew she was hiding the truth. He wouldn't want her to do the same as him.

"They're ash", she whispered, "Stan burned them years ago."

Gideon's grip turned crushing and Mabel yelped as her knuckles popped out of place. A piercing screaasassaultedr ears and seconds later she realized it was from Gideon himself. His free hand tore at his hair and face and she could already see the skin tearing under his nails. His grip tightens further on her hand and despite her pleas, his trashing only grew worse. Already her fingers were dark purple and that was when she punched him in the jaw out of sheer desperation.

The brass knuckles bruised her fist, but she knew Gideon was far worse off. Despite the awkward angle she managed to knock him back onto his behind and her hand was released from its prison. Wasting no time, Mabel fell back behind the counter and retrieved the gun once again. Her grip was shoddy as one hand was numb and the other ached; not that it mattered considering this was just a scare tactic. Crouching over the counter she watched as Gideon curled in on himself and gripped at his arms in a weak effort to make himself smaller.

"Gideon," she called out.

No answer from him.

"If you do that again I'm giving you a few new holes. Nod if you understand."

The barest of nods was her answer and she let out a sigh of relief. Readjusting her grip to lower the barrel some, she tried to work over what to say now. So far the meeting had gone to utter shit and she hoped it couldn't get much worse. His reaction was that of a child she knew and she had to remind herself exactly what she was dealing with here. This boy couldn't have been older than thirteen and she doubted his mental state had improved much over the years. Caution was needed here if she wanted to help him.

"Now—I don't have the books, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid without them."

His reply was garbled by his snotty nose and coughing, but it sounded like he said she wasn't stupid. Or that she was. One of them was right and she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Mabel let herself fall silent again as she struggled to think of how to deal with this huge disaster. All she could really think up was the fact that her client was a weeping mess and she was suddenly exhausted after everything that had happened. Morning would be her best bet if she wanted to actually have any good ideas. 

"Gideon—let's do this in the morning, okay?"

A shake of the head and another muddled answer.

"Dude, you're all messed up emotionally right now and that's just going to make everything difficult. Let's just—let's sleep all these bad vibes off and start fresh."

As a show of good faith, she put away the gun but made sure to keep on hand on the butt just in case. She swore if he made to attack again she wasn't going to play nice any longer. Bad Mabel was out now and this fool would just have to tough it out and take it. He seemed defeated though and didn't give any more fight as he almost literally dragged himself up to stand. As he stood there wavering she had to bite her tongue to keep her face passive. With the mutations in view now he didn't look like the boy she used to know. For once he actually looked like the monster he was. Once was. She had to keep reminding herself that times were different now.

"Morning," he mumbled, "do you promise?"

The tone was pleading and Mabel forced a smile even as her hand gripped at the gun.

"Bright and early!"

Gideon left then with hunched shoulders and a slow gait. As he shuffled past the counter their eyes met and Mabel held the stare until the screen door closed with a bang. Quick as a flash she hopped over the counter and locked down the shack with all seventeen tumblers. She couldn't bring herself to care if he felt insulted by it. Yes, he needed help and Mabel was going to provide it. Didn't mean she had to be hurt doing it though.

"You really got yourself in a mess," she groused to herself, "that's what you get for being a bleeding heart.

\------------

Mabel wouldn't sleep that night. She had tried of course and even changed into some comfy shorts to try and help her issue. All she did though was lie there atop the covers and wonder what the hell she could do to help Gideon. The books were destroyed and she didn't even have the journals Dipper had been working on. Nor could she call him because just mentioning the journals sent him into a tizzy. All she had was what she could remember and a creaky old house to hide in.

She wished Stan hadn't of disappeared. She wanted any advice no matter how bad it was. She needed someone else there to back her up. She wasn't worth much on her own. 

Anxiety wormed up into her legs and Mabel kicked them up to keep from feeling worse. The movement felt nice too and she kept it up until her muscles ached and her eyes stopped tearing up. Letting herself get depressed wasn't an option if she wanted to fix up Gideon. Tomorrow she could ask questions to see if any clues were there and then maybe she could narrow down the leads. So far, all she could consider was that the boy got himself in a deep curse and was slowly transforming into some kind of kooky monster.

A gross one. Not one of those nicer fuzzy ones. She didn't like remembering how his skin looked.

Cripes. He was only thirteen. Even if Gideon was an evil little creep he didn't exactly deserve this much pain. Speaking of which she had thought he was still locked up in the prison, but he must've gotten released in the years she had been gone. Not surprising considering he was only ten years old put into hard time. Hopefully he had mellowed out some during that stint in jail. Maybe looked deep inside himself and realized how much of a butt face he truly was.

Flipping over to her stomach, Mabel focused again on everything she had learned about his condition. Extreme growth in a short period, icy goop from skin, and an altered mental state. While Gideon had always been quick to temper he was never so bad at hiding it when he wanted too. Plus, the letter had hinted that he felt as though his mind was slipping away at times. 

"Transformation", she whispered aloud and pulled a lock into her mouth without thinking, "but what is he changing into?"

No one in town had mentioned Bud Gleeful looking any different. That just left his mother. She could remember seeing the hollow shell of that woman just once and she too was human looking. 

Ugh, she would have to wait until morning for answers. If he even showed up since he had hinted he didn't enjoy the daytime. All Mabel could do for now was stew in her own conclusions and argue with herself about wether or not she should call upon Dipper.

Hours passed like this. In the end, she didn't call Dipper or get any sleep.

\-----------------------------------------

Overcast was the weather when Mabel finally got up from the bed. The sky outside was an ugly shade of grey and she tried not to let her worsen her already sour mood. All night she pondered about Gideon until finally she just gave up. Her head hurt and her body lagged as she dragged herself to the bathroom. Cold water helped wake her up and a few aspirins would do the trick for the headache.

Downstairs nothing had changed from last night and each lock on the door was still turned. Quickly unlocking the door, Mabel turned back to head towards the kitchen when the front door creaked open. She watched Gideon step in gingerly and took note of the wrinkles in his clothes and the morning dew atop his head.

"Did you sleep on my porch?"

An awkward nod was given and Mabel just threw up her hands. Turning away she headed back towards the kitchen and called out,

"It's frozen waffle day. Want some?"

"Gosh yes", he answered with glee, "do you have honey or syrup for them?"

"Uh-duh! Waffles are just a syrup delivery system."

In the kitchen, Mabel tore open the box with her teeth as she slapped the toaster oven on. There was the terrible sound of wood groaning from the table and she guessed Gideon was as heavy as he looked. Dumping out the entire box onto the pan she loaded the oven and set the timer. Toss the box away she decided now was the best time to get started.

"So," she said as she sat on the counter, "all I can think of is that you got yourself cursed."

Gideon had been twiddling his thumbs, but stilled when she spoke. It was impossible to read his face with the mask and the silence grew awkward. Opening her mouth to say more she snapped it shut when he replied,

"Let's take about that later."

"You said last night—"

"Look here moon pie, we will have all day to hash out those messy details. Right now though I am hankering for some decent conversation."

"Conversation won't do much to fix you."

"But it does keep me sane and that is something I sorely need."

Mabel huffed. Gideon gave a shrill giggle. It gave her emotional whiplash and she had to urge to strangle him. Which might be impossible considering his neck was the width of her head. Seeing him like this really felt a slice disjointed reality considering his voice had barely changed. Feeling suddenly uncomfortable with the situation, she crossed her legs and casually asked,

"How exactly did you get out of prison?"

Whatever mirth Gideon had deflated instantly. Crossing his arms he leaned back in his chair and eyed her with flinty eyes.

"Can't we talk about something else sugarbomb?"

"Nah. I like this topic so answer the question butt face."

"Because honestly I was looking forward to seeing how you were doing these years."

"Prison. You. Not there. Why?"

/"Dumpling—"/

/"Gnome-reject."/

Like the child he was, Gideon slapped his hand against the table and sucked in a few deep breaths. While aggravating him probably wasn't the best idea Mabel really needed to test the waters of his temper. Last night had shown his anger in all it's familiarity and she still wasn't all that comfortable around him. It would be smart to learn the limits and abide by them. Also the the pet names were really awkward; she was starting to understand how Wendy felt years ago.

"A good lawyer solves most everything. Despite the newfound hostility of the town I was still quite the little moneymaker and the public loves a redemption arc. So, daddy managed to wise up and argue me right out. Along with a few friends of mine."

"Friends?"

"Just a handful of pals that didn't truly need to be locked up and had missing paperwork. Nice fellows. I've actually been living with them for the past few weeks."

"Wait," Mabel interrupted, "you don't live with your parents?"

"Oh darling," he answered bitterly, "what good am I without my smiling dimples? Father changed the locks on me and Mother is in a home."

Nothing could be said to continue the line of conversation without making things awkward. Luckily the over time beeped and Mabel leaped at the chance to distract herself from the mess of his life. Tossing the hot tray of waffles onto the table (where it left a burn mark that matched the others) she snagged two clean plates and the large jug of syrup. As an afterthought she also fetched the honey down from the cabinet just for Gideon.

"You know," he commented as she dished him up a full plate, "I've never had waffles from a freezer before."

"Man life sucked for you then because frozen waffles are the best."

"I am sure that can be debated by many a professional."

"And they can all suck it."

Another giggle came from him and this time Mabel joined in on the laughter. The mood was lighter now and it easier now to pretend this was all normal. As she drowned her waffles in syrup she passed the bottle to Gideon who proceeded to empty the rest of it onto his own plate.

"Uh—"

The honey shone golden under the light as that too was emptied out. Mabel wasn't even upset of him using the rest up—she was more concerned for his well being. Even for her own taste that amount of sugar was bordering on inedible. As their eyes met she watched him fidget for a moment under her flabbergasted stare.

"I've been craving sugar since this happened," he explained, "at times I've even found myself eating it by the handful."

"Sounds like me—anything sweet is fair game. Do you have any other cravings?"

"…meat. Red meat."

"Well that's not too—"

"Raw meat at that."

"Yeah. Yeah okay that's actually really weird Gideon."

He just shrugged and used his fork to slather around the syrup honey mess. Just by watching him avoid her gaze she could tell he was keeping something secret from her. Perhaps it wasn't too important or maybe it was the key to everything. It didn't really matter because Mabel just knew he wasn't going to share anytime soon. The sugar and meat were still useful to know at least.

"Darling, can I ask for a favor?"

"Sure bugbrain."

"Could I ask that you focus on your plate as we eat? For obvious reasons of course."

Mabel nodded and looked down so that just for now they could eat comfortably. He at least deserved that.

\-------------

"Iron hurts?"

"Dreadfully. Just brushing against it makes me skin sizzle like bacon fat."

Mabel nodded and jotted that down into her notebook. She wasn't as diligent as Dipper when it came to note taking, but so far that hadn't really mattered in this mystery. Gideon had mostly spoke of physical changes happening and those were easy to remember. Skin cracking, blood turning icy, and rapid growth in a short time. Such things could also be the reason behind how much he craved sweets and meat. A body going through rapid changes would need a ton of calories and protein in a diet.

Iron allergy though? That was odd. Mabel vaguely recalled a weakness to the metal in several of the journal entries. Most of those were listed under 'fairies', but she couldn't figure out a connection between annoying pixies and Gideon. Unless…

"I still think it's a curse."

"And I'm telling you it ain't a curse. I hadn't of left the house in weeks before this started happening."

"Depressing."

"Oh you hush up. I had some fake prison tattoos that weren't washing off. Even though I'm sure there are plenty of people upset enough to curse I really do have my doubts."

Adjusting in her bean bag, Mabel chewed on the pen cap as she pondered. Curses were a rough thing to figure out if you didn't even know the end result. Gideon could still be in the process of changing after all, but waiting years to see what happened seemed like a really bad idea as a whole. A family curse didn't seem plausible either since Bud Gleeful was still his jolly human self. A singular curse then and just like that Mabel completed the circular hunch and found herself empty-handed.

"I'm not giving up on the curse idea."

"But?", he asked with a terrible giggle like the gremlin he was.

"But maybe we can consider something else now wipe that stupid hidden smile off your face."

Despite her scolding, Mabel felt a smile of her own spreading over her lips. Despite the darker subject matter the mood felt light between the two of them. As she doodled in margins to try and stimulate her brain a low growl sounded between the two of them and her head whipped up towards Gideon. He looked ashamed and mumbled the excuse of being a tad peckish. With a shrug Mabel told him to help himself to more food and he was up in a flash. From her seat she could see him in the kitchen as he once again opened the jar of jam and start digging in with a spoon. For a moment she watched him hunkered over the food as she struggled to think. 

If only Dipper hadn't of taken his journals with him. If only Mabel would have spent more time digging for secrets. She hated not being able to help someone who truly needed it. Even if all the paranormal mess was more of Dippers obsession. Heck, it seemed he couldn't actually take a walk into the woods without tripping over answers to questions yet asked.

Actually—that might be a boon to her also.

"Hey Gids", she called out, "let's go for a nature walk."

\-----------------

So far, the walk hadn't turned up anytime ground breaking or beneficial. Still, the weather was pleasant and the air was heavy with the smell of wood and dirt. It was a good smell and made Mabel much more relaxed than before; as if stress had been chased away. Beside her Gideon lumbered along with heavy footsteps and twitchy hands. His cloak was back on and the hood was pulled back over his head. At night the outfit had been scary, but here in the day the cloak just seemed stupid. She couldn't fault him though if it made him feel safer.

After all, she had slipped an iron blade up her sleeve. Just in case.

"You think your brother will have any ideas?"

"Probably", she answered as she stripped leaves off a twig, "he keeps up with this stuff better than I do."

"Don't have a taste for it?"

"Nah—its pretty cool and all, but I don't like what it does to people. It's too easy to become obessed."

Beside her Gideon fell quiet and she felt the smallest pang of guilt. Her words probably sounded like an accusation to him even though she didn't mean it that way. For her it was just a simple fact. She had seen what this obession did to her family and she hated that it still continued. The journals burning were still a fresh image in her memory along with the rage her brother had released upon Stan. At the time Mabel had been furious alongside her twin. The journals were their mystery—one last childhood mystery to solve. Stan had stolen that from them.

Three years later she was thankful for it. Looking back she could see the heartbreak behind Stan's actions. It wasn't just because of zombies. It was because he already knew what was going to happen next. He wanted to prevent something. 

And he did. And she would never get to thank him for it. All she could do was sit in his dusty old room and wonder if this was how life was really going to work out. So far she was starting to think it really sucked.

Beside her Gideon was snapping a twig into tiny pieces and tossing them roughly onto the ground. The situation had gotten way too depressing again and there was no way Mabel could think up solutions right now. She was actually about to just tell him to go home when the bushes before them rustled. As soon as they stopped a gnome rolled out that was struggling to remove a glass jar from their head.

They were doing a terrible job and Mabel wasted no time grabbing the jar and hoisting it up.

"Oh don't help it", Gideon whined, "they'll just keep doing it."

"Oh shut up I'm not letting him suffocate in such a stupid way."

"And then you'll have them bothering you at all hours for help."

She gave him a pointed look and Gideon quieted right down. In her arms the gnome had kept wriggling so she ended up holding him football style as she worked the jar off. With a loud 'pop' the gnome was released and wasted no time before sucking down air and screaming in her grasp. It looked to be one of the…more stupid ones if she had to be honest. From her few interactions they weren't very good at self-reliance. Both Dipper and herself theorized that's why they were so hell-bent on getting a 'queen'.

"Jeez calm down!"

"I told ya—"

"Gideon shut up it's fine!"

Despite her best efforts to drop the damn gnome it managed to get tangled up in her sweater sleeve. Swearing at it she struggled to dislodge it without causing too much damage to both gnome and sweater. It seemed to be going just fine until the tiny fool decided to go on the offensive and bit her hand. Despite the the blunt teeth gnomes had they processed plenty of jaw strength.

So deep was the bite that it actually gushed blood and with a shriek Mabel slung the gnome off. It screamed through the air before landing in bushes nearby. Pain hit then and she bit her tongue to keep from crying out even as she tried to stem the flow of blood. The amount seemed neverending; flooding again as soon as she wiped it away. Blinking away tears, Mabel gave up trying to clean it and settled for gripping the wound with her good hand.

"Lets—lets head back Gideon."

The boys answer was muffled and Mabel glanced up in confusion. One of his plate-sized hands was pressed against his mouth and she could see the raw skin of his face from where the mask was crushed. She met his eyes and saw that the pupils will little more than pin-pricks and soley focused on her bleeding hand.

"…Gideon?"

No response, but his hand wiped over his mouth and she could see that thick-liquid seeping from his cracked lips. Feeling very much worried Mabel gave up trying to talk and just took a step back instead. He mimicked her. Like a beast his lips peeled back into a panting snarl and his teeth were thick ivory blocks. 

'Red raw meat' echoed in her mind and suddenly a lot of things clicked right as Gideon grabbed her bleeding hand. Cursing at him and kicking she tried to pull it from his grip even as he leaned in to wrap his teeth around her slender wrist.

She figured she could feel bad about stabbing him later. 


End file.
